Gate attachment



Oct. 8, 1929. P. H. soss 1,731,028

GATE ATTACHMENT Filed April 23, 1928 5 //f//Q f ffm? /A dass BYfMW/f ML.fili- E u ATTORNEYS.

of gate.

Patented Oct. 8, 1929 Unirse strates PETER H. SOSS, OI STANFORD,ILLNOLFS,

AND ONE-THIRD TO BARREL B. Mc.

ASSGNC-R 0F NEEHRD TO HOMER CATON -E`Y'NOLDS, BOTH OF STANFORD, ILLINOISy GATE .ATTAGHVIENT Application. filed April y23,

This invention relates to improvements in gates and more particularly toan attachment to a farm gate.

Vire fencing is largely employed on farms with the wires supported onwooden or concrete posts and it is customary wherever a gate isnecessary to hang or mount a swinging gate on the same character of postas used in the fence. Such gates are usually ten feet or more in lengthand the weight of such a gate hanging on the post causes the post toincline or lean in the direction of the opening resulting in the freeend of the gate sagging and engaging the ground making it diflicult toopen and close the gate freely. To overcome this, gates with flexibleframes have been employed with means for lifting the f ree end as thetop of the post inclines which necessitates a particular and moreexpensive gate construction.

It is an object of this invention to provide an attachment which can beapplied to ordinary rigid frame gates, either in the course ofmanufacture or after having been placed in use, to be substituted forthe customary hinge member upon the gate and be engaged with thecustomary gate post hinge member in the usual manner. The advantages ofsuch an attachment are obvious, it adds but little to the cost of a newrigid frame gate, can be applied to any ordinary gate after having beenplaced in use and can be adiusted from time to time, as needed, with butlittle trouble and requires no special tools to maintain the freeswinging of the gate clear of the ground.

Vhile the preferred forms of this invention are illustrated upon theaccompanying sheet of drawing, yet it is to be understood that minordetail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawings f Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a farm fencegate illustrating an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in horizontal sectiontaken on the line 2 2 in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the same attachment applied to adifferent type 1928. Serial No. 272,647.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view, similar to Figure 1, of anotherembodiment of this invention.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the modification shown in Figure 3. n

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustra-ting anothermodification of this improved attachment. f

The embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figure l of the drawingsshows the usual rigid frame type of gate mounted to swing on gate post lto open and close the opening between that post and a post2. Gates ofthis type are usually provided with vertical braces 3 at each end withoneor more intermediate braces 4 secured on opposite sides of kthehorizontal boards 5 which form a gate with a body suiiiciently rigid toretain its original shape. v y, y y

To prevent the lower edge ofthe free end of the gate from engaging theground, as is often the case when the weight ofthe gate causes the gatepost upon which it is mounted to incline in that direction so that itbecomes iiecessai'yto bodily lift the gate 'to be able t0 swing it, anadjustable spring attachment is mounted upon the gate to do the lifting.In the form shown in Figure l, the gate post l is provided with thecustomary hinge members (5 having upwardly extending pinties 7 and thegate is provided at the top with the customary hinge member 8 having aneye eX- tending beyond the end of the gate adapted y to engage over andswing upon the gate post hinge member, as shown. In lieu of the lowergate hinge member a horizontal rod 9 is provided having an eyeat one endsimilar to that of the gate hinge memberiadapted to rengage over thelower gate post hinge member and is mounted to slide transverselybetween the boards 5 and oppositely disposed end and next intermediatevertical braces 3 and 4, respectively, as shown in Figure 2. To create alift upon the lower edge of the `free end 0f the gate er create a pushupon the lower gate post hinge to carry the lower free end of the gateclear of the ground a coil compression spring 11 is mounted about therod 9 between the intermediate brace 4 and an adjustable collar l2 alsomounted on the rod 9, and pro- Cil ' means at one end to engage videdwith a set screw 13. TWhen the gate is originally hung on the gate postthe collar 12 is positioned upon the rod 9 to create sullicient tensionin the spring 11 to hold the lower 'free end of the gate well above thesurface ot the ground. A catch 1l is provided on post 2 so arranged thatwhen the gate is closed, it may be depressed and the top ot one of theboards 5 engaged under the catch and the tension ot the spring 11 willhold the gate in engagement with the catch. lTJhen the gate postinclines allowing the gate to sagthe tension ot the spring 11 is easilyand readily increased by loosening the set screw and moving the collarnearer the intermediatebrace Ll.

rEhe same result is accomplished in Figure l with the attachment mountedin lieu of the upper gate hinge member in which the tension spring 11 ismounted between the boards 5, the end braces 3 and adjustable collar 12,so that the lift is created by pushing the upper portion ot the endbraces nearer the gate post hinge member. is shown in Figures 3 and 5,when it is desired to secure this improved a tachment to a wire gatehaving a metal trame, such as metal pipes 15, clamps 16 mountingbearings 17, through which the rod 9 is adapted to slide, are secured tothe trame 15, as shown. ln this form the parts are all the same and theoperation is the same as above descr'bed. lt' it is desired to rigidlysupport the free end of the gate clear ot' the ground, the spring 11 maybe omitted, as shown in Figure 6.

From the above description it is readily seen that the attachmentcontemplated by this invention may be readily placed upon a gate duringthe course of manufacture or upon any gate now in use. rlhe set screw 13may have a lrnurled head for manual operation, may be provided with asquare head to be engaged by a wrench, or be provided with a slot to beengaged by a screw driver. Care should be taken to place the usual posthinge member 6 so that its pintle is a sufficient distance from thevertical center line ot the post to maint-ain that end ol" the irontrame 15 vertical, when using the orm shown in Fi@- ure 5, in which formthe bearings 17 are heid by the clamps 16 at one side ot the gate body.

lV hat I claim is 1. An attachment tor gates to litt the lower swingingend clear, comprising a rod having means at one end to engage a gatepost hinge member, a plurality or bearings upon the rod adapted to besecured to the gate body, an adjustable collar upon the rod between thebearings, and a compression coil spring upon the rod between one bearingand the collar, whereby adjusting movement of the collar towards thespring acts to adjust the relation of the gate body to the gate post.

2. An attachment for gates to litt the lower swinging end clear,comprising a rod having a gate post hinge member, bearings tor said rodadapted to be secured to the gate body, an adjustable means upon therod, and a spring adapted to engage said means and the gate body,whereby adjusting said means acts to ad 'ust the relation of the gatebody to the gate post.

3. An attachment for gates to lift the lower swinging end clear,comprising a rod having means at one end to engage a gate post hingemember, bearings for said rod adapted to be secured to the gate body, aspring adapted to engage said rod and the gate body, and means to adjustsaid spring to adjust the relation of the gate body to the gate post.

ln witness whereof l have signed my name to the foregoing specification.

PETER H. SOSS.

